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History of Vernon County, Wisconsin. Together with sketches of its towns and villages, educational, civil, military and political history; portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens.

304
HISTORY OF VERNON COUNTY.
one calling my attention to it from my store door, it appeared to be a confused mass of timbers, branches, stones, leaves, driven among themselves in every direction. The track of the storm appeared to be about one hundred rods wide, and the noise was like the rumble of thunder. In sound and in the dread that it inspired, it was like to a score of giant locomo¬ tives driving abreast.
It came from the west, and I watched its approach until it reached the nearest dwelling of the village that I discovered. This was the Gard¬ ner dwelling. It lifted the building from its base, tossed it in air like a toy, and rent it in pieces, scattering the fragments on every side. I watched its course among the houses until it neared iny own home. I then saw a two-story building north of my dwelling picked up and thrust over upon my house. There was no time from the first real comprehension of the peril— not a moment to think. There was but one thought, and that was to hug the earth where alone lay our safety. With this intent I leaped from the door and ran out into the street, only to be knocked down by the flying timber. When I recovered myself, the storm was past, and I rose and walked to the ruins of my house and took my child from its mother's arms and ran back to the store. My wife remained, saying she would see if she could find Mrs. Somerby. My injuries, which, in the excitement were hardly noticed, overcame me in a few minutes, and I became unconscious. Because of my wounds and the consequent illness, I did not see the ruins for some time, and can give no account of them. It was a number of weeks before I recovered sufficiently to be around and attend to business. I have never fully recovered. The whole number killed outfight and who afterward died from the injuries received, were twenty.
My house was destroyed in this way: The floor was left; all above that a wreck. My wife was slightly injured, but the boy was unhurt.
Their escape was a wonder, considering the tim¬ ber and other debris which fell around them.
IX.—CHARLES C. BROWN'S RECOLLECTION.
I was about one mile east of Viroqua at Green's. I was helping Amos Green frame his barn. It was a blusterihg afternoon; there were strong indications of a storm. It appeared so threatening that we concluied to quit work. It thundered heavily, and there was vivid light¬ ning. I suggested to the boys, as we had so many steel tools, that I felt uneasy about work¬ ing there. We had no more than quit fairly, before the storm came on. All but myself went into Green's house; I did not go in because I felt uneasy about home. I discovered the storm coming—the ground trembled. We could have seen the storm sooner had it not been that we were behind a heavy grove.
The tornado passed about 200 yards south of me. It had the appearance of a huge top; it was cone shaped. It looked as though it was made up of tar—it was a black mass. The noise was deafening. Immediately after it passed it was quite calm. I immediately started for town. I had not gone far before I discovered the frag¬ ments of a school house. Children were run¬ ning wild in every direction. I was then close to old Mr. Green's residence. He asked me to go over and render assistance to those children who might be found in the rubbish. I went and helped take out six children, some already dead and the residue soon expired. Other help now came and I hurried home.
Most of the children that I met before reaching the ruins of the school house were more or less injured; many had blood on their faces. They were frantic and were running for home, I found the school teacher, a young lady, sitting on the ground with a child's head resting on her lap with very bad gashes in her face. She was so covered with blood as not to be recog¬ nized. She appeared very cool and rational^ The child she held was already dead or was dy¬ ing. She said all but the six had gone home.

History of Vernon County, Wisconsin. Together with sketches of its towns and villages, educational, civil, military and political history; portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens.

Title of work

History of Vernon County, Wisconsin. Together with sketches of its towns and villages, educational, civil, military and political history; portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens.

We believe that online reproduction of this material is permitted because its copyright protection has lapsed or because sharing it here for non-profit educational purposes complies with the Fair Use provisions of the U.S. Copyright Law. Teachers and students are generally free to reproduce pages for nonprofit classroom use. For advice about other uses, or if you believe that you possess copyright to some of this material, please contact us at asklibrary@wisconsinhistory.org.

History of Vernon County, Wisconsin. Together with sketches of its towns and villages, educational, civil, military and political history; portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens.

Author

Union Publishing Company

Publication Date (Original)

1884

Format-Digital

jpeg

Publisher-Electronic

Wisconsin Historical Society

Rights

We believe that online reproduction of this material is permitted because its copyright protection has lapsed or because sharing it here for non-profit educational purposes complies with the Fair Use provisions of the U.S. Copyright Law. Teachers and students are generally free to reproduce pages for nonprofit classroom use. For advice about other uses, or if you believe that you possess copyright to some of this material, please contact us at asklibrary@wisconsinhistory.org.

Publication Date-Electronic

2008

Identifier-Digital

Vern1884303

Full Text

304
HISTORY OF VERNON COUNTY.
one calling my attention to it from my store door, it appeared to be a confused mass of timbers, branches, stones, leaves, driven among themselves in every direction. The track of the storm appeared to be about one hundred rods wide, and the noise was like the rumble of thunder. In sound and in the dread that it inspired, it was like to a score of giant locomo¬ tives driving abreast.
It came from the west, and I watched its approach until it reached the nearest dwelling of the village that I discovered. This was the Gard¬ ner dwelling. It lifted the building from its base, tossed it in air like a toy, and rent it in pieces, scattering the fragments on every side. I watched its course among the houses until it neared iny own home. I then saw a two-story building north of my dwelling picked up and thrust over upon my house. There was no time from the first real comprehension of the peril— not a moment to think. There was but one thought, and that was to hug the earth where alone lay our safety. With this intent I leaped from the door and ran out into the street, only to be knocked down by the flying timber. When I recovered myself, the storm was past, and I rose and walked to the ruins of my house and took my child from its mother's arms and ran back to the store. My wife remained, saying she would see if she could find Mrs. Somerby. My injuries, which, in the excitement were hardly noticed, overcame me in a few minutes, and I became unconscious. Because of my wounds and the consequent illness, I did not see the ruins for some time, and can give no account of them. It was a number of weeks before I recovered sufficiently to be around and attend to business. I have never fully recovered. The whole number killed outfight and who afterward died from the injuries received, were twenty.
My house was destroyed in this way: The floor was left; all above that a wreck. My wife was slightly injured, but the boy was unhurt.
Their escape was a wonder, considering the tim¬ ber and other debris which fell around them.
IX.—CHARLES C. BROWN'S RECOLLECTION.
I was about one mile east of Viroqua at Green's. I was helping Amos Green frame his barn. It was a blusterihg afternoon; there were strong indications of a storm. It appeared so threatening that we concluied to quit work. It thundered heavily, and there was vivid light¬ ning. I suggested to the boys, as we had so many steel tools, that I felt uneasy about work¬ ing there. We had no more than quit fairly, before the storm came on. All but myself went into Green's house; I did not go in because I felt uneasy about home. I discovered the storm coming—the ground trembled. We could have seen the storm sooner had it not been that we were behind a heavy grove.
The tornado passed about 200 yards south of me. It had the appearance of a huge top; it was cone shaped. It looked as though it was made up of tar—it was a black mass. The noise was deafening. Immediately after it passed it was quite calm. I immediately started for town. I had not gone far before I discovered the frag¬ ments of a school house. Children were run¬ ning wild in every direction. I was then close to old Mr. Green's residence. He asked me to go over and render assistance to those children who might be found in the rubbish. I went and helped take out six children, some already dead and the residue soon expired. Other help now came and I hurried home.
Most of the children that I met before reaching the ruins of the school house were more or less injured; many had blood on their faces. They were frantic and were running for home, I found the school teacher, a young lady, sitting on the ground with a child's head resting on her lap with very bad gashes in her face. She was so covered with blood as not to be recog¬ nized. She appeared very cool and rational^ The child she held was already dead or was dy¬ ing. She said all but the six had gone home.